Type caeeiee foe typogeaphio machines



'2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Er. T. HEATH & A. N. VERDIN. TYPE @ARRIER FOR TYPOGRAPHIG MACHINES- (No Model.)

No. 553,985. Patented Feb. 4, 1896.

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21V itnesses Inventors I v KW/ZW Attorney (No Model.) '2 Sheets--Sheet 2. V

T. T. HEAT-H NQVERDIN, TYPE GARRIBR'FOR 'IYPQGRAPHIG MACHINES.

Patentd 1 610.4,1896.

- Inventors Witnesses Attorney VNIVTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS T. HEATH, OF LOVELAND, AND ALOIS N. VERDIN, OF GLENDALE, OHIO; SAID VERDIN ASSIGNOR TO SAID HEATH.

TYPE-CARRIER FOR TYPOGRAPHIC MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 553,985, dated February 4, 1896.

Application filed March 1, 1894. Renewed August 191 1895. Serial No. 559,804. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS T. HEATH, of Loveland, Clermont county, and ALOIs N. VERDIN, of Glendale, H'amilton county, Ohio,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in T ype-Carriers for Typographic Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains to improvements in the type-carriers of that class of typographic machines, such as type-writers or matriX- making machines,which employa font of end wise-movable type, the type being in proper turn brought to a line of collimation where the selected type is pushed endwise to produce the impression. Heretofore, so far as we are aware, the entire font of type has required to be moved full proper distances to bring a given type into the line of collimation. In our improved system of carrier for the type we arrange the types in trays in the carrier and we slide a given tray in the carrier to bring a given one of its types into the line of collimation.

Our improvements will be readily understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a rear perspective view of the type case or holder, one of the trays of type shown as partly emptied being abnormally withdrawn from the holder; Fig. 2, a front elevation of the same; Fig. 3, a rear perspective view of the guide for the holder and its 3 5 accessory mechanism; and Fig. 4, a vertical transverse section of the complete carrier, showing a type as in the act of making an impression.

We use the term front as applying to the face of the type.

In the drawings, referring to Figs. 1 and 2 only, 1 indicates a rectangular boX like holder; 2, a series of shelves or trays arranged to slide endwise therein, each tray consisting of a thin bottom having an upwardly-projecting ledge at each end, the front and rear edges of the bottom sliding in grooves in the holder, so that each tray is free to slide independent of its neighbor; 3, the types or steel punches 5o laid side by side in the tray and neatly fitting the same in all directions; 4, one of the trays, shown as being withdrawn endwise from the holder into an abnormal position in order that its construction may be more readily understood, one of the side portions of this tray being shown as empty, it being understood, however, that all of the trays are to be completely filled with type, a thick central partition 4' in each tray separating the tray into a right and left compartment; 5, a notch across the top of each of the types near the rear end, such notches being also carried across the ledges and central partitions of the trays; 6, a longitudinal rib projecting downward from the bottom of each tray and engaging the notches of the types in the tray below, the construction being obviously such that the types are held against sidewise displacement by the end ledges of the trays, and against endwise displacement by the ribs 6 7o engaging the notches, and against vertical displacement by the floors of the trays which support them and by the floors of the trays above them; 7, a vertical slot or opening through the central partitions of the trays; S, a similar opening through the top and bot tom of the holder, a transverse slot therefor being formed vertically through the entire holder and lot of trays and extending from the back of the holder toward its front; 9, a spring latch-bar on the holder to secure the holder into the lifter in connection with which the holder is to be employed; 10, a spring within this latch-bar to urge it endwise in latching position; 11,- a notch in the front edge of the bottom of each tray; 12, Fig. 2, a vertically-sliding spring keeper-bar in the front wall of the holder, the rear face of this bar presenting itself to the notches 11 in the trays, the bar being notched to permit the 9:) endwise sliding of the trays when the bar is pushed upward to normal position, these notches in the bar being out of alignment with the trays when the bar is in the downward position, as indicated in Fig. 2, a' spring 5 pressing the bar downward; 13, a handle on latch bar Q, serving also as a handle by which the entire holder and its contents may be lifted; and 14 dowel-pins projecting downward from the bottom of the holder.

The holder is designed to contain a complete font of type, the example providing for Lil one hundred and forty sorts. Such a holder, for ordinary newspaper-type, forms a block about two inches square by four and one-half inches long. The keeper-bar l2, engaging the notches 11 of the trays, prevents any endwise sliding of the trays. Therefore the holder with its contents can be laid away without danger of the displacement or loss of any of the types.

The machine in which the holder is to be used is to be provided with as many of these holders of type as desired, fonts being changed by removing one holder and substituting another. The act of placing the holder in the machine moves the keeper-bar 12 to bring its notches in line with the trays, thus unlocking the trays and rendering them free to be moved endwise in the holder. The plunger which is to operate the selected type is pushed forwardly in slot 8. The holder being lifted to bring the proper tray to the level of the plunger, and then that tray being slid to the right or left, as the case may he, brings the proper type in line with the plunger, and the ad Vance of the plunger will push that type forward and make the impression, the plunger making hook engagement with the notch in the type, so that the return of the plunger retracts the type to normal position.

In Fig. 1 one of the types is shown as being pushed forward from tray l to impressing distance.

In typographic machines dealing with endwise-movable type great diliiculty has heretofore been experienced in providing a typeholder of suiiicient lightness to permit of speed in its adjusting movements. The weight has been due largely to the fact that, in addition to the weight of the type, each type is required to have its individual bearing in the holder, thus necessitating a large and heavy holder, producing a great mass to be moved and a considerable distance through which it must be moved. it will be observed that in the improved holder the types make direct contact and furnish the slide-bearings for each other, and that they are as close together as is possible, thus calling for but a minimum distance of movement in bringing a selected type to the line of collimation. In the ex ample it is provided that the plunger shall act at the center of length of the holder and that the selected tray shall slide either to the right or the left, as the desired type may call for.

Itis obvious that the plunger might work at or beyond one end of the holder and that the selection of a type from a tray might be made from the entire lot of type in that tray by sliding the tray in the direction toward the plunger; but the plan illustrated, of disposing the plunger at the center of the holder, has the merit of permitting a selection to be made from the type in a given tray by sliding the tray a distance not to exceed half the length of the tray.

.The adjuncts of the holder will now be described, by reference to Figs. 3 and i, in which 15 indicates a fixed guide-block, which, if desired, may be formed on or secured to the frame of any typographic machine in connection with which our improved type-carrier is to be employed; 16, a vertical guideway in this block, the distance between the side walls of this guideway to be such as to accurately fit the ends of the holder so that the holder may freely slide upon and down in the guide way; 17, a lifter sliding in this guideway and adapted to have the holder attached to it, the lifter being in the example formed with a floor on which the holder is to rest, a front plate against which the front of the holder is to rest, and a downwardly-projecting stem by means of which the lifter and holderare to be moved vertically by any suitable means; 18, latch-notches in the top of the front plate of the lifter adapted to be engaged by the latch elements of latch-bar 9 of the holder, which late h elements and notches are beveled so that when the holder is put in place in the lifter and pushed downward to its seat the latch elements will automatically engage the notches and secure the holder down to its seat; 1%), a projection upon the lifter adapted to engage under keeper-bar 12 of the holder when the holder is put in position on the lifter, such action thereby putting the keeper-bar in position to unlock the trays in the holder; 20, a vertical slot in the front plate of the lifter to permit of the passing forward of any type which may, by the sliding of a tray, be brought to the line of collimation; 2 1, an opening through the front wall of the guide-block to permit of such projected type going onward to make the impression upon or into the impression-receiving material; 22, the fixed anvil in front of the guide-block, in the line of collimation, to furnish a backing for the impression-receiving material; 23, the impressing-plunger, to be forcibly reciprocated by any usual or suitable means, the axis of this plunger being in the line of collimation, the forward end of the plunger having a lip or hook to engage the notches of the type, the normal endwise position of this plunger being such that its lip will be in the vertical longitudinal plane of the notches of the types in the holder; 2%, horizontal guide-slots in the guide-block, one at each side of the vertical guideway lo, the cross-section of these guideslots corresponding with the cross-section of a tray with its contained type-that is to say, the vertical depth of these slots is the same as that of a type plus the thickness of the bottom of the tray-and the roof of the slot is provided with a longitudinal rib to fit the notches in the type, these guide-slots being at such vertical distance that when the litter and holder are in normal lowermost position the slots will correspond with the uppermost tray in the holder; 25, horizontal plungers fitting the slots it, one in each slot, the two plungers being connected together so that they move as a unit, the inner ends of these plungers being flush with the side walls of the vertical guideway 16; 26, dowel-holes in the shelf of the lifter to be engaged by the dowelpins 14 of the holder when the holder is put in place in the lifter; 27, Fig. 4, the impression-receiving material, be it paper, wood, or any suitable material, supported, as usual, in position to be impressed by the selected type, and backed by the anvil 22; 28, a type from the upper tray in the act of being impressed, and 29, Fig. 3, the line of collimation or impression action.

- The improved carrier may be employed in any suitable typographic machine adapted for dealing with end wise-movable typesuch a machine, for instance, as is illustrated in our Patent No. 483,252, dated September 27, 1892.

Normally the lifter is down, with the upper tray of type in the horizontal plane of the line of collimation the plunger 23 being in the central slot 8 of the holder in such forward position that its lip is in line with the notches of the type in the upper tray. If the plunger should move forward it would act on no type and its stroke would be idle. If plungers 25 be pushed to the left they will slide the upper tray partially out of the holder and bring a selected type in the righthand compartment of that tray to the line of collimation, the type as they slide forward passing the lip of the plunger. If, with the selected type in position, the plunger be advanced, that selected type will make an im pression, and upon the return of the plunger the type will return to normal position and the tray will be pushed endwise by plungers 25 until the entire apparatus is in normal position ready for a new selection of type. Before this top tray of type was displaced endwise from the holder the types within it were retained against endwise displacement by the downwardly-projecting rib engaging in the notches of the type. When the tray was pushed endwise out of the holder it passed into the guide-slot 24 in the guide-block, following up the retreating left-hand one of side plungers 25, and as the end of the tray passed into this guide-slot the notches of the type engaged the top rib in the guide-slot and were held as securely as when the tray was in the holder. Thus it will be seen that the guide-slots 2 1 form a side prolongation of the normal receiver of any tray which may be pushed endwise more or less out of the holder, it therefore being impossible that any type should be displaced, for notches in the types are always engaged, either by the ribs above them in the holder or by the ribs above them into the guide-slot into which the tray has been pushed or by the lip of the impressingplunger as the tray of type passes across the central slot Sin the holder. A selection of a type from the upper tray calls for no movement of the lifter or holder, but only for an endwise movement of the upper tray, to be effected by the side plungers 25.

If a selection of a type is to be made from any other than the upper tray then the lifter 17 is to be raised to bring the desired tray to the level of the line of collimation, and when this has been done the side plungers 25 act as before to slide that tray endwise in the proper direction and to the proper distance, and'after the impression is made the tray is restored to the holder, and the litter and holder go down to normal lowermost position. It is preferable that sorts most used should as far as practicable be arranged in the upper portion of the holder, so as to lessen as far as possible the necessity for and degree of lifting of the holder.

If the font of type is to be changed it is only necessary to grasp handle 13 and unlatch the holder, which may then be removed from the lifter, this removing act causing keeperbar 12 to lock the trays into the holder, after which the newly-selected holder is placed in position in the lifter.

\Ve claim as our invention 1. The combination, substantially as set forth, of a'tray-holder having a transverse opening for protrusion of a type, a tray arranged for endwise sliding motion therein and having a transverse partition at said opening, and a series of type or punches rectangular in cross-section fitting side by side in said tray, said type or' punches extending transverse to the length of the tray.

2. The combination, substantially as set forth, of a tray-holder having a transverse opening for protrusion of a type, a tray fitted for endwise sliding motion therein and having a transverse partition at said opening, a series of type of rectangular cross-section disposed side by side in said tray and having transverse notches, and a rib supported by said holder and engaging the notches of all of said type when said tray is in position in the holder.

3. The combination, substantially as set forth, of a tray-holder having a top and bottom wall and no intermediate walls, a vertical series of trays arranged for endwise-sliding motion therein, and a series of type of rectangular cross section disposed side by side transversely in said trays.

4. The combination, substantially as set forth, of a tray-holder having a top and bottom wall and no intermediate walls, a vertical series of trays arranged for endwise-sliding motion therein, a series of type of rectangular cross-section disposed side by side in each tray and provided with transverse notches, and longitudinal ribs on the trays and top holder-wall engaging the notches of the type.

5. The combination, substantially as set forth, of a holder, several horizontal series of transversely-notched types therein, and an independently-sliding longitudinally-ribbed tray in said holder for each of said series of types, the rib of each tray engaging the notches of the type in the tray below.

6. The combination, substantially as set forth, of a holder having a transverse opening, a series of transversely-partitioned trays arranged for endwisesliding motion therein, a series of type of rectangular cross-section disposed side by side in said trays and provided with transverse notches, and longitudi nal ribs projecting from each tray into the notches of the type in the tray immediately below it.

7. The combination, substantially as set forth, of a holder provided with a vertical transverse slot, a vertical series of trays ar ranged for endwise -sliding motion in said holder, each tray being provided with a transverse central partition having a slot normally in line with the vertical slot in said holder, and a series of type supported in each tray to each side of said central partition.

8. The combination, substantially as set forth, of a holder, a series of trays arranged for endwise-sliding motion therein, a series of types disposed in each of said trays, and an endwise-movable keeper-bar engaging said trays and locking them against endwise displacement.

9. The combination, substantially as set forth, of a holder, a lifter or receiving device therefor, a series of trays arranged for endwise-sliding motion therein, a series of type disposed in said trays, and a latclrbar upon said holder adapted to engage the lifter or receiving device when in use.

10. The combination, substantially as set forth, of a holder, a series of trays arranged for endwise-sliding motion therein, a series of type disposed in each of said trays, a keeper-bar mounted in said holder and engaging said trays and locking them against endwise motion in the holder, and a spring I to press said keeper-bar to locking position.

11. The combination, substantially as set forth, of a holder, a tray fitted for endWisesliding motion therein, types disposed side by side in said tray, a pair of plungers engaging the opposite ends of said tray and adapted to move it endwise in the holder, and a lixed guideway for each of said plungers having a cross-section fitting said tray.

12. The combination, substantially as set forth, of a holder, a vertical series of trays adapted for endwise-sliding motion therein, a series of type disposed in each of said trays, a guide-block engaging the ends of said holder and trays, a lifter engaging said holder and serving to adjust it vertically in said guideblock, and a pair of plungers sliding trans- 1 versely in said guide-bloclc and adapted to engage a selected one of said trays and slide it endwise in the holder.

13. The combination, substantially as set I forth, of a holder, a tray adapted for endwisesliding motion therein, a series of types disposed side by side in said tray and provided with transverse notches, a longitudinal rib supported by said holder and engaging said notches, a pair of united plungers engaging the ends of said tray and adapted to move it endwise from the holder, and guiding supports for said plungers having longitudinal ribs adapted to engage the notches of the type which are displaced from the holder by the i endwise movement of the tray.

ll. The combination, substantially as set forth, of a holder, a vertical series of trays adapted for endWise-sliding motion therein, a series of type disposed within each tray,'a guide-block having a vertical guideway fitting the ends of said holder and trays and having horizontal guide-slots, and plungers in said horizontal guide-slots with their inner ends flush With the walls of the vertical guideway in said guide-block.

15. The combination, substantially as set forth, of a holder, a vertical series of trays adapted for endwise-sliding motion therein, a series of type in each of said trays, a keeperbar mounted in said holder and engaging said trays and serving to lock the trays against endwise motion in the holder, a spring holding said keeper-bar in locking position, a lifter arranged to have said holder adjustably secured to it for use, and a projection on said lifter arranged to engage said keeper-bar and move it to inactive position when the holder is secured to the lifter.

113. The combination, substantially as set forth, of a holder, a series of movable type therein, a latch-bar mounted on the holder, and a lifter fitted to receive said holder and having notches to be engaged by the latch l elements of said latch-bar when the holder is applied to the lifter for use.

17. The combination, substantially as set forth, of a group of type arranged in several parallelhorizontal series, avertically-movable holder for said entire group of type, and means for adjusting one of said series of types horizontally independent of the other series in the group. 18. The combination, substantially as set forth, of a group of type arranged in horizontal layers, means, substantially as set forth, for displacing one of said layers in a direction transverse to the length of the type and independent of the other layers, and 1 means for moving endwisc one of the types i of said displaced layers.

THOMAS T. HEATH. ALOIS N. VERDIN.

W itnesses:

Ill. l3. FnRms, l. J. MILLS.

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